Ben Martens

This April marks a monumental milestone for our oceans and the people who make their living upon them: the 50th anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Passed on April 13, 1976, the MSA was a declaration of American maritime sovereignty. It reclaimed our waters by establishing the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and created a unique, constituent-driven regional council system that remains the global gold standard for sustainable fisheries...

Remarks from our 20th Birthday Party, held on January 15, 2026 Over 150 people celebrated with us! Thank you to everyone who came out this evening to celebrate 20 years of MCFA. We have many of our board members here tonight, past and present. I am so appreciative of the time and energy and care that you put into your charge of stewarding our mission, and the empowerment you have shared with our team to go and get stuff done. Thank you to our many partners in the room. Fishermen, nonprofits,...

The outpouring of community support for this recovery effort has been awe-inspiring. And I am proud to say that together, in just one month, we have nearly reached the goal of meeting the need estimated by the affected fishermen. Hundreds of individuals, local businesses, and community groups worked together to raise almost $200,000 in funds to help rebuild. THANK YOU for being part of this caring network. We closed the fund on Friday, January 30. Final distributions to fishermen will be...